Wed Sep 13 1882: Father Van Wersch curate of St. Joseph Catholic church, who has been on a six month’s vacation in Europe started on his return trip from Antwerp, Germany, Sept. 2, and is expected home about the 14th. A large number of his parishioners held a meeting the other day and decided to arrange a grand reception for him upon his arrival at this depot and for this purpose Rev. Fl. DeBruycker, Dr. T.H. McNally and Mr. J. O’Sullivan were appointed a committee to take the matter in charge. There will be a procession with torch lights and music and the church and grounds will be brilliants illuminated.

Wed Mar. 21,1883: Death of Rev. Arnold Van Wersch.—No event which has occurred in recent years has cast so overshadowing a gloom over the Catholic portion of this community as the death of Rev. Arnold Van Wersch, which occurred at the rectory of St. Joseph’s parish last Sunday at 11 o’clock. Nor is the feeling of sadness confined wholly within that denomination, for the deceased clergyman had gained many friends by his pious actions from among the people of other beliefs. His death was as unexpected as it was surprising to his parishioners, but few knowing at the time of his demise that he was even sick. The immediate cause was a severe attack of typhoid pneumonia which set in last Friday. He was compelled to take his bed by typhoid fever one week ago last Sunday although he had been considerably indisposed for a fortnight previous to that time, but would not give way to his feelings.

The disease was contracted, in all probability, while on missions of many to the sick. He had for a number of weeks been attending persons afflicted with typhoid fever around the vicinity of Jackson street and to his faithful ministrations to them as attributed the direct cause of his death. While service was in progress at the Catholic church Sunday forenoon the sad intelligence was announced to the congregation by Father DeBruycker, and the vast assemblage as one man burst into tears, so much had the dead priest entwined himself into the affections of that people. Father Arnold, as he was familiarly known, was personally really one of the salt of the earth. His always polite, modest and charitable actions had gained for him universal respect throughout this entire community and he always seemed to be carrying out in his every day walks a character which was thoroughly pious.

He had without effort endeared himself in a remarkable degree to the people under his charge. Father Arnold Van Wersch was born in Simpleveld, a small county village in Holland, on Sept. 18th 1852 and was therefore 30 years of age. His parents followed the pursuit of agriculture. He was one of a large family of children, another of whom is an eminent priest in that country. His education was liberal and he had profited greatly by it in his standing among his brother clergymen. He first graduated from the Rolduc literary college in Holland and afterwards took the entire course in the theological seminary in Roermond in the same country. In both of these institutions he carried off the highest honors among a class of eighty-five members. He then entered the world-famed Catholic university of Louvain in Belgium, but before he had finished the course he consented to forego the privilege of becoming a D.D. to supply a demand for more priests. He intended at a latter period to complete that course. He was ordained in 1876. Five years ago he was assigned curate in St. Joseph’s parish in this place and has remained here ever since.He had gained the respect and love of his pastor, Rev. Fl. DeBruycker, who had a high opinion of his abilities and does not hesitate to say that in matters of dogma where he himself was in doubt he would often consult his assistant always with perfect success. The position was conceded to him by the entire clergy of this diocese of the leading exponent of theology, notwithstanding the fact that he was only a curate.

The funeral ceremonies commenced at 10:30 o’clock and continued until nearly 2 o’clock in the afternoon. The people began to gather at an early hour and long before the service began there was not room inside and hundreds were turned away from the door. It is estimated that the attendance was about 2,000. The church was festooned with flowers and the sanctuary bore appropriate mottoes for the occasion and was heavily draped with crape. Near the railing to the altar the remains were placed Sunday night at 9 o’clock and at no period since that time had there been less than a hundred mourners present in the church. They were laid by Undertaker Casey in a hard wood casket with raised top, covered with broadcloth and velvet and mounted with elegant silver trimmings. On the cover lay two plates, one giving the name and age, the other the places of nativity and death, and also lavish floral tributes.

The order of exercises were as follows: Commencing by chanting the office of the dead, at the first nocturn, Laudes, (solemn chanting); High mass, celebrant, Rev. Fl. DeBruycker; deacon, Rev. A. Van Oppen, Meriden; sub-deacon, Rev. J. VanDeNoort, Baltic; assist. Priest, Rev. E. Vygen, Putnam: Chanters with cope: Rev. J. Campbell, South Manchester; Rev. T. Ariens, Dayville; Master of ceremonies, Rev. T.W. Brockerick, new London; assistant at shrine, Rev. J. Princen, Danielsonville. The oration in French was delivered by Rev. T. Arien of Dayville. This was followed by a panegyric in English by Rev. Peter DeRoo, of Baker City, Oregon. Bishop McMahon then pronounced the last rites over the body and the cortege was formed as follows: Bearers: Revs. Shahan, Desmond, McKeone, Fones, Sheridan, Dougherty, Cooney, Thompson; friends, (men appointed); Knights of the Sacred Heart: a colyte clergy; corpse and celebrants; Children of Mary; friends (members of congregation). The remains were placed in a brick vault in the church yard at the south west corner of the church. The spot will probably be marked by a monument to his memory at a future day. Forty priests took part in the funeral ceremonies.

Rev. Father Arnold, a young priest who has served as an assistent to Rev. Fl. DeBruyker for several years, died Sunday at 11 o’clock a.m. He was an exceedingly pleasent gentleman and was universally loved and esteemed by the catholic people of this vicinity. His funeral will take place to-day (Tuesday) at St. Joseph’s church.

Mar 12, 1884: Next Tuesday, the 18th March occurs the anniversary of the death of Rev. Father Arnold Van Wersch, the former faithful and pious assistant of Rev. Fl. Debruycker and who was so much beloved by the Catholic people of this village. It will be noticed by the people of that parish in a public and solemn manner at St. Joseph church. Solemn requiem mass will be said for the departed at 10 o’clock and Rev. Father Broderick of St. Peters church Hartford will deliver a sermon in memoriam. It is expected that a large number of priests of this diocese will be present and assist in the services, and it is announced that the Right Reverend Bishop McMahon will be present at the ceremony. At the close of the religious services the monument erected from the contributions of parishioners and friends will be unveiled by the Bishop. We are requested to announce that the general public are invited.

The St. Josephchurch of Willimantic.

On May 11, 1863, Rev. Florimond DeBruycker was assigned to St. Joseph parish, Willimantic, by Bishop McFarland of Hartford. Father DeBruycker was born in Ghent, Belgium on October 6, 1832. He sailed for New York on November 5, 1862 and then went on to Providence attending to the spiritual welfare of the French and German population of Connecticut and Rhode Island, which then formed the diocese of Hartford. At the time of his appointment to the Willimantic parish, the parish also comprised the missions of Baltic, South Coventry and Stafford Springs the furthest of which was up to twenty miles from the mother church.

Willimantic’s Irish population exploded in the years after the Civil War. They were joined by a large number of French Canadians, seeking employment in the town’s textile mills. Under the guidance of Father DeBruycker, the new parish began to flourish. The small Baptist Church building they bought was enlarged, refitted, and repaired. However, with the rapid growth of the congregation from many ethnic backgrounds, the old building was rendered wholly inadequate for the needs of the congregation. In 1872 steps were taken towards the erection of a new church. In May, 1873, the old church was removed to Valley Street, being now “St. Joseph’s Hall” and on its site the foundation walls for the new church were commenced.

The cornerstone of St. Joseph’s was laid with much ceremony on Sunday, April 17, 1873. Bishop Francis Patrick McFarland, of the Diocese of Hartford, being his last official act, solemnly blessed the cornerstone, situated in the North West corner of the church. His address, written in Latin, was deposited beneath the cornerstone with the latest issues of the Willimantic Journal, New York Herald, Freeman’s Journal, New York Catholic Revue, Boston Pilot, and various coins of the U.S., Ireland, England, France, Canada and Belgium and a photograph of Rev. Florimond DeBruycker.

The church was completed the following year. Its beautiful Gothic style was designed by a well-known architect, E.S. Howland. Bishop McFarland died in October of 1874 and on November 17, 1874, Bishop Bernard McQuaid of Rochester, New York, solemnly dedicated the new church. The style of the building is Gothic, with nave and aisles, and a clerestory, supported by clustered columns and arcade arches. From the basement walls, which are formed of granite, the church is built of brick.

The size on the ground is 156 x 54 feet; the height of the side walls 24 feet, and height from floor to peak of roof 66 feet. A graceful tower on the northwest corner is surmounted with a spire, the cross on the top of which is 172 feet above the curbstone. The church has fourteen double Gothic memorial windows of cathedral stained glass, and other parts of the edifice have thirty-five smaller windows. The beautiful, original high altar was brought from Munich. ‘The building is an elegant one in all its details of finish and furnishings, and had, at its dedication, a seating capacity of 1,500.

Located around the interior of the church are stained glass windows in the gothic style. At the top of each window is a symbol of some article of the Catholic faith. Over the door on the south side is the IHS (monogram of the Greek for “Jesus”) symbol, followed by the symbols for Faith (cross), Hope (anchor), and Charity (heart), the Holy Spirit, the wounding Pelican, The Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Lily and red background symbol of Saint Joseph, and the crown. Continuing, across from the crown in the window of the organ loft on the North side is the Cross, the Chalice, the Monstrance, the Nails and Crown, The Our Lady of Sorrows, the Lamb of God, and the MR’ a monogram of the Latin words Maria Regina, Mary our Queen.

Located in the walls of the apse of the Church are five large stained-glass windows, each representing Jesus or a Saint. The first window on the left is of St. John the Baptist who is standing over the river Jordan. The next window shows St. Peter who is holding the keys to the kingdom and the book of the righteous. In the center is Jesus. He is holding a book which says Alpha and Omega, representing Himself as the beginning and the end and the Word of God. Continuing to the right is St. Paul who is writing in a book symbolic of his many letters and holding a sword. The final window is St. Patrick, who is wearing a tunic with clovers on it. He is also holding his Bishop’s staff and casting the snakes out of Ireland.

The organ in the west end of the Church was installed in 1874 by the Steere & Turner Company of Westfield, Massachusetts. It was completely restored in 1989 by Charles Aitken and Son of Torrington, Connecticut. A choir division has been added and the pedal expanded while extending its compass to 32 notes.

Above the organ pipes the west rose window with its representation of Saint Cecilia, patron of musicians, floods the church late in the day with the light of the setting sun. Although the 14 memorial windows name Irish donors, the inscription in the west rose is in French and reminds the congregation of the diversity that has always characterized this community.

There are three bells in the bell tower, all made by the Clinton H Meneely Bell Company of Troy,N ew York in the late 19th century. They are made of “bell metal” not silver ‘though one of them has a “silver” connection. Bell metal is a bronze alloy.
Each bell is different. Each rings its own note and each has its own inscription, some might even say its own name. Michael McCarthy, our organist and choir master, tells me that our three bell peal rings “F” “G” and “A” although the pitch of each bell may vary sharp or flat depending on the temperature. The biggest bell rings “F” and has an inscription in Latin which translates: In honor of Saints Joseph and Patrick and John the Baptist A.D. 1881 In memory of the happy return of Father DeBruycker.

The second bell sounds “G” and carries its own Latin inscription translated: In honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary Immaculately Conceived and In memory of the silver jubilee of Father DeBruycker, Rector of the church A. D. 1863-1888 My soul magnifies the Lord.

The third and smallest of the bells rings “A” and bears the inscription¼again translated: In honor of Saint Anne, Mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary Make a joyful noise to God our Savior. There is no date on this bell. At least three times each day the bells of Saint Joseph peal out. They ring at 7 am, at noon and at 6 pm to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary by ringing the Angelus: three groups of three strikes followed by a peal of all three bells. These bells call us to worship by pealing 5 minutes before each of the Vigil and Sunday Masses.

bron: Brochure St Joseph Church 2017

The Rev. Daniel Mullen succeeded Father O’Reilly, and after four years was succeeded by the present incumbent, the Rev. Florimond DeBruycker. Father DeBruycker had under his charge when he first came here missions at Stafford Springs, Bolton and Coventry.

In 1864 he purchased the new Catholic cemetery, and in 1883 the old wooden church, (bought of the Baptists) was removed to Valley street, where it is now a part of the parochial school property, and on the site of the old church he erected the beautiful structure of brick and stone at a cost of $80,000, including the high altar, which was brought from Munich. The corner stone was laid August 17, 1875, by the late Bishop McFarland, his last official act. November 17, 1874, came the dedication led by the Rev. Bishop McQuade of Rochester. Our Catholic population is from 3500 to 4000 including about 1500 to 1800 French Canadians.

bron: A Memorial Volume of the bi-centennial celebration of the town of Windham, Connecticut, Hartford, 1893. Blz 56.